Jasmine Phillips is delighted to step in to sign for the deaf community in the forthcoming production of The Vagina Monologues at the Judith Wright Centre in March, particularly since it’s a family affair.
West End resident, political activist and Auslan interpreter, Jasmine will not only share the interpreting role with her sister, Michelle Phillips but is doing so at the request of her Producer-Director mother, Sally Lattin.
Jasmine was first in the family to discover the language of the deaf community when she studied Cultural Studies and Politics at university and met and became close friends with a fellow student who was deaf. This gave her an interest in signing so that she could communicate effectively with her friend but, having become more involved in the deaf community,
Jasmine decided to become an Auslan interpreter.
“My sister Michelle developed an interest in the Auslan language too along with the rest of the family but it was Michelle and I who became passionate about it,” Jasmine said.
“Auslan is the language of the deaf community in Australia and we as interpreters are thrust into many scenarios that are challenging and with unusual circumstances that require us to think on our feet and draw on interpreter training and ethics,” Jasmine said.
“I’m thrilled to be signing for The Vagina Monologues after their sell out season in Maleny last year. Making thought-provoking and entertaining arts accessible to Auslan users is a fantastic feat. I’m very glad to be a part of it.”
She has been signing for the Woodford Folk Festival events for many years such as the opening and closing ceremonies which she has done on many occasions. She was immortalized on film by Darmin Cameron who won the Spirit of Woodford Video Award for his film Interpreting Woodford, a 12-minute documentary about Jasmine when she interpreted comedians performing at the Woodford Comedy Club.
“Interpreters rarely have access to materials in order to prepare in their day to day work. The good thing about theatre interpreting is that you have a script to familiarize yourself with before the big day, a luxury that interpreters rarely receive. “
Sally Lattin’s production company, Wild Women Productions brings Eve Ensler’s award-winning play to Brisbane at the end of March. The play is made up of a series of monologues, inspired by Ensler’s interviews with over 200 women from around the world. Through these monologues—which range from riveting manifestos to comedic recounts of real women’s stories—Wild Women Productions will celebrate women’s strength and sexuality, address issues such as violence against women, and work to create an empowering, positive perception of women.
M15+ classification. Explicit language and adult themes.
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WildWomenProductions
BRISBANE– Judith Wright Centre
Friday March 28 2014 at 7.30pm
Saturday March 29 2014 at 2.00pm
Bookings: judithwrightcentre.com, 07 3872 9000